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The Sports Network
Zagreb, Croatia (Sports Network) - Mikhail Youzhny cruised into the
quarterfinals of the Zagreb Indoors tournament Thursday, while fellow Russian
Alex Bogomolov was eliminated by Slovakia's Lukas Lacko.
A pair of past Zagreb winners, defending champ Ivan Dodig and 2007 titlist
Marcos Baghdatis, also advanced Thursday.
The third-seeded Youzhny eased past Slovenia's Grega Zemlja, 6-1, 6-3, and is
now the highest seeded player remaining. Top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic was beaten
in the second round on Wednesday and Bogomolov was the second seed.
Youzhny, a semifinalist at this event in 2007, lost just 10 points on serve in
his match Thursday. He'll next face eighth-seeded Croat native Ivo Karlovic,
who handled Israel's Dudi Sela 6-3, 6-2.
Lacko dominated early and late in a 6-0, 6-7 (1-7), 6-1 win over Bogomolov. He
won the first nine games of the match before Bogomolov rallied in the second
set. However, 2011's most improved player could not sustain the momentum in
the third.
Next up for Lacko will be seventh-seeded Dutchman Robin Haase.
The fourth-seeded Dodig needed three sets to dispose of Spain's Guillermo
Garcia-Lopez, rallying for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 triumph. Dodig, a native Croat,
will next face Baghdatis, who moved on with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Poland's
Lukasz Kubot.
Baghdatis will play in his third quarterfinal of 2012, having already reached
the round of eight at the Australian Open tuneup in Brisbane and the
semifinals in Sydney.
Friday's remaining quarterfinal will feature Austrian veteran Jurgen Melzer
against German Michael Berrer, both second-round winners on Wednesday. Melzer
knocked off fifth-seeded Andreas Seppi and Berrer took out Ljubicic.
Berrer lost to Dodig in last year's Zagreb final.
This week's champion will collect $90,000.
The Sports Network